(01) The Approach

[waysoftheearth]

Thanis immediately sets a brisk pace back toward the moat house with Flin and others falling in behind him. It will scarcely be two minutes at a quick march.

Tass lingers to search the dead, while Goldwen makes a prayer for them, and Witherun loiters long enough to watch over them...

Tass chats congenially as he expertly paws the dead men for purses, rings, or other curiosities. They aren't locals, he decides; their tanned skin is yellow-tinged, their hands broad, and fingernails gritty with oil and coal, rather than earth. Foreigners, he concludes before he even opens a purse to reveal unusual coins with octagonal shapes, and holes in the middle. As he cuts a few more belt purses free he notices also that most of them have serpent tattoos on their arms or hands...

[waysoftheearth]

Meanwhile, Thanis and Flin are up front, now approaching the moat house.... the grey sky is beginning to fade, and a light rain is still hesitantly falling. Thanis spies the moathouse between the last of the trees, and now a camp fire flickering under the darkening arch with a few more men huddled about it; all still 50-60 yards away...

What now Thanis, Flin?

[rredmond]

Garamon moves forward, nodding at Witherun, to close with Thanis and Flin.

Jinkies! I thought everyone stopped!

[sully]

Thanis stops, as quietly as he can, and signals to Flin to stop as well.

He points at himself, then to the left side of the fire pit. Then he points at Flin and points to the right side of the fire pit.

He then nocks an arrow, draws it back, nods at Flin, and looses at the leftmost guard.

[mgtremaine]

Tass would point out the tattoo "Look at this funny serpent, I we should get Flin one of these. " He finishes his search and is ready to catch up with the others.

[ehiker133]

Goldwen quietly urges the curious Hobbet to hurry up to the group and immediately heads to follow them.

[zygarti]

Flin nods back at Thanis, understanding the plan and throws his Axe at the rightmost guard as soon as Thanis shoots at the left one.

He prepares to charge into melee to finish off the remaining guards as soon as the Axe returns into his hand.

would the mention of the snake tattoo from Tass have any significance to Flin?

[waysoftheearth]

Flin nods to Thanis' plan, and the pair of them loose their missiles... the nearest guards don't even look up as the missiles sail silently through the misty dusk air. Then.
An arrow lodges through the first guard's neck, killing him instantly.
Simultaneously, Flin's axe cracks the second guard's helmet and skull, throwing him sideways to crash into his fellow's night camp.
"Joizuut!" swear a couple of the remaining guards, as they scramble for their wits.

The ref treats this missile attack as a surprise segment.
Individual missile fire, even at normal types, is handled per fantastic combat. I.e., one throw at best FC:

Thanis and Flin both have +2 to hit for surprise, and +1 to hit for their respective magic weapons.
Range is 50 yards (5" outdoors), which is within Flin's 6" range, and counted short range for Thanis (a +1 to hit adjustment).

Thanis (stealthy hero; THAC2 14): 1d20=13+2+1 = 16 vs AC 6 is a hit. 1d6=5 hp damage. Dice for hp: d6+1=3; dead.
Flin (strong hero-1; THAC2 15): 1d20=11+2+1 = 14 vs AC 6 is a hit. 1d6+1=7 hp! Dice for hp: d6+1=4; dead.

That was the surprise segment.

[waysoftheearth]

Thanis, Flin, Garamon and Stern are at the woods edge, 50 yards from the moat house. Wraislin is loitering a bit behind them.
The remaining handful of guards are further back under the arch.

Tass, Goldwen, and Witherun have just finished looting, praying, and watching back at the ambush site, and are a couple minutes away.

What now Thanis, Flin, Garamon, Stern, Wraislin?

[waysoftheearth]

Thanis, Flin, Garamon and Stern are at the woods edge, 50 yards from the moat house. Wraislin is loitering a bit behind them.
The remaining handful of guards are further back under the arch.

Tass, Goldwen, and Witherun have just finished looting, praying, and watching back at the ambush site, and are a couple minutes away.

would the mention of the snake tattoo from Tass have any significance to Flin?

Flin doesn't yet know what Tass saw back at the ambush site.


At the moathouse: What now Thanis, Flin, Garamon, Stern, Wraislin?

At the ambush site: What now Tass, Goldwen, Witherun?